Windows

Judith at Lavender Cottage has offered a photographic challenge: Windows and Doors, so I thought I would give you a look from the inside out:

My View on the World

The view from my kitchen window: the courtyard with the little water garden, the rose garden, and the horse pasture. 

From the office: the weedy center circle and the new houses that are being built across the street. 

From the guest bedroom: the back yard. I have taken down curtains and sent them off the cleaners, so the window looks rather bare.

And that is my view on the world: my peaceful, quiet Garden Spot.

Strange Visitor

Inside, it is a different story. Yesterday while I was cleaning and hubby was revamping the pantry closet, I found that we had visitor. Actually I got quite excited because we rarely see praying mantis in the yard. I know that we have a few, but we don't see them much. So how did it get in the house?

Did it climb out of the pan of garden vegetables? I had washed them and sorted them, so I don't think he came from them. Who knows? Anyway, he went back to the garden where he belongs.

On a side note: last night before I went to bed I checked the window wells for toads. I rescued one huge one and 5 babies. They have to be removed from the window wells or they die. One escaped from the shoe box that I was trying to put them into. It hid under the couch. But he came out and hubby caught him. No photo. Use your imagination on this one. 

Night Lights

We had a very long day in Denver Thursday that ended at the Denver Aquarium where we attended a financial planning seminar. Before the seminar, we had free access to tour the aquarium. I was so excited because I had never been there and it is very expensive to visit. I didn't take any photos of fish; fish are fish and we had little time to hang out with them. But I did play with the camera when we returned to the car at the end of the evening. It had rained on us all day, so the clouds were heavy, wet, and low. I am not sure just what the tower is that I photographed, it might be at the amusement park Elitche's  just behind the aquarium. The skyline was so beautiful. I do need to learn how to take night photos, but I rather like my fuzzy, out of focus photos.

The front of the aquarium.

On a final note, here in Northern Colorado we are so distressed; while the Garden Spot is not under water, much of our Weld county to the south of us is. I am sure that you have seen the news reports on national news about the flooding in Boulder, but that flooding was just the beginning. Let me tell that it is bad. Really bad. Some of you have been to Estes Park in the mountains. Now 17 miles of the highway in the Big Thompson Canyon has been destroyed as a wall of raging water forced its way down the canyon. Estes Park main street was under water. I am talking three raging rivers: Cache La Poudre, Big Thompson, and the St. Vrain, all feeding into the South Platte River on the south east side of Greeley. Thousands of acres under water. Roads and bridges wiped out. And more rain on the way. This part of Colorado received 6 months of rain in 24 hours or less. Red Feather, a mountain community, received 13.8 inches of rain in a day. Lyons, another mountain community, has been totally isolated. If you want to read more and see photos, go to 9news. com. We suffered drought last summer and most of this summer and raging fires. Now more rain than, really, I have ever seen. Today thousands are wondering if their life will ever be the same. They have lost everything. They could use your prayers.

Hope you are all well and safe. Thank you for visiting.